Preferred contact group centric interface

Abstract

A preferred contact group centric interface for a communication device can be used to facilitate communications by a user. The user interface can be arranged to activate from a user's “home page” on the display, from an idle screen that is accessed after a timeout period expires, or any other appropriate mechanism that activates the preferred contact group centric experience. A user selects the preferred contact group from among an array of the user's contacts. Once the contact group is configured, a minimal number of navigation/selection features is necessary to activate any number of communication modes available to the contacts. The contact group is configured such that simple and quick navigation between the contact members is achieved. The contact group can be presented in 2D and 3D arrangements, in any number of list or geometric configurations. A pricing plan can optionally be tied to each member of the contact group.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a data store for maintaining a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of a communications device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of contacts accessible by the communications device and wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts; and 
 at least one computing device comprising a processor and a user interface component, implemented by executing instructions on the processor, the user interface component in communication with the data store., and the at least one computing device operative to:
 cause the generation of a display on the communications device, the display including a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts; 
 identify a preferred communication mode associated with a user contact corresponding to a selected graphical identifier from the graphical identifiers displayed on the communications device, wherein the preferred communication mode is pre-selected by the user and wherein the preferred communication mode associated with the user contact corresponding to the selected graphical identifier is different from a preferred communication mode associated with at least one of the other user contacts in the subset; and 
 automatically initiate a communication corresponding to the preferred communication mode and directed to the user contact associated with the selected graphical identifier in response to selection by the user of a single input on the communication device, 
 wherein the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts are caused to be presented on the display in response to initiation of an idle screen state. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each contact in the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the communications device. 
     
     
       3. The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the display includes a first position corresponding to a selected graphical identifier position such that a graphical identifier presented in the first position corresponds to the selected graphical identifier. 
     
     
       4. The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the graphical identifier associated with a first contact selected by the user as a member of the subset of contacts is initially presented on the display in the first position. 
     
     
       5. The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the preferred communication mode associated with the at least one of the other user contacts in the subset is pre-configured as a default communication mode. 
     
     
       6. The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the preferred communication mode associated with the at least one of the other user contacts in the subset is pre-selected by the user. 
     
     
       7. The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the preferred communication mode associated with the user contact corresponding to the selected graphical identifier corresponds to a telephone call to the user contact corresponding to the selected graphical identifier. 
     
     
       8. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 identifying a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of the communication device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of contacts accessible by a communication device and wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts; 
 identifying a graphical identifier corresponding to each user contact from the subset; 
 causing the generation of a display on the communications device, the display including an arrangement of at least a portion of the graphical identifiers; 
 identifying a pre-selected communication mode associated with a user contact corresponding to a selected graphical identifier from the at least a portion of the graphical identifiers displayed on the communications device; and 
 automatically initiating a communication corresponding to the pre-selected communication mode and directed to the user contact associated with the selected graphical identifier in response to selection by the user of a single input on the communication device, 
 wherein the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts are caused to be presented on the display in response to initiation of an idle screen state and wherein the method is implemented in a computer system. 
 
     
     
       9. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein each contact in the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the communications device. 
     
     
       10. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the display includes an arrangement of each of the graphical identifiers corresponding to a user contact from the subset. 
     
     
       11. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the arrangement includes a first position corresponding to a selected graphical identifier position such that a graphical identifier presented in the first position corresponds to the selected graphical identifier. 
     
     
       12. The method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the graphical identifier associated with a first contact selected by the user as a member of the subset of contacts is initially presented on the display in the first position. 
     
     
       13. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the pre-selected communication mode is user configured. 
     
     
       14. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the pre-selected communication mode is configured as a default communication mode. 
     
     
       15. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the pre-selected communication mode is user modifiable. 
     
     
       16. The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the pre-selected communication mode associated with the user contact corresponding to the selected graphical identifier is different from a pre-selected communication mode associated with at least one of the other user contacts in the subset. 
     
     
       17. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 identifying a subset of contacts, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of contacts accessible by a communication device and wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts; 
 identifying a graphical identifier corresponding to each user contact from the subset; 
 causing the generation of a display on the communications device, the display including an arrangement of at least a portion of the graphical identifiers; 
 identifying a pre-selected communication mode associated with a user contact corresponding to a selected graphical identifier from the at least a portion of the graphical identifiers displayed on the communications device, wherein the pre-selected communication mode is user configured; and 
 automatically initiating a communication corresponding to the pre-selected communication mode and directed to the user contact associated with the selected graphical identifier in response to selection by the user of a single input on the communication device, 
 wherein the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts are caused to be presented on the display in an idle screen and wherein the method is implemented in a computer system. 
 
     
     
       18. The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein each contact in the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the communications device. 
     
     
       19. The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the display includes an arrangement of each of the graphical identifiers corresponding to a user contact from the subset. 
     
     
       20. The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the arrangement includes a first position corresponding to a selected graphical identifier position such that a graphical identifier presented in the first position corresponds to the selected graphical identifier. 
     
     
       21. The method as recited in  claim 20 , wherein the graphical identifier associated with a first contact selected by the user as a member of the subset of contacts is initially presented on the display in the first position. 
     
     
       22. The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the pre-selected communication mode is user modifiable. 
     
     
       23. The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the pre-selected communication mode associated with the user contact corresponding to the selected graphical identifier is different from a pre-selected communication mode associated with at least one of the other user contacts in the subset. 
     
     
       24. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 identifying a subset of contacts, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of contacts accessible by a communication device and wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts; 
 identifying a graphical identifier corresponding to each user contact from the subset; 
 causing the generation of a display on the communications device, the display including an arrangement of at least a portion of the graphical identifiers; 
 identifying a pre-selected communication mode associated with a user contact corresponding to a selected graphical identifier from the at least a portion of the graphical identifiers displayed on the communications device, wherein the pre-selected communication mode associated with the user contact corresponding to the selected graphical identifier is different from a pre-selected communication mode associated with at least one of the other user contacts in the subset; and 
 automatically initiating a communication corresponding to the pre-selected communication mode and directed to the user contact associated with the selected graphical identifier in response to selection by the user of a single input on the communication device, 
 wherein the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts are caused to be presented on the display in an idle screen and wherein the method is implemented in a computer system. 
 
     
     
       25. The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein each contact in the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the communications device. 
     
     
       26. The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the display includes an arrangement of each of the graphical identifiers corresponding to a user contact from the subset. 
     
     
       27. The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the arrangement includes a first position corresponding to a selected graphical identifier position such that a graphical identifier presented in the first position corresponds to the selected graphical identifier. 
     
     
       28. The method as recited in  claim 27 , wherein the graphical identifier associated with a first contact selected by the user as a member of the subset of contacts is initially presented on the display in the first position. 
     
     
       29. The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the pre-selected communication mode is configured as a default communication mode. 
     
     
       30. The method as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the pre-selected communication mode is user modifiable. 
     
     
       31. The method as recited in  claim 24  further comprising causing the generation of a second display on the communications device, the second display comprising a communications option menu including an arrangement of available communication modes associated with a currently selected graphical identifier corresponding to a first contact, wherein the arrangement of available communication modes comprises a second arrangement of graphical identifiers on the second display about a central axis, wherein the second arrangement of graphical identifiers comprises at least a portion of a set of graphical identifiers indicative of available communication modes, and wherein one of the graphical identifiers indicative of available communication modes corresponds to a currently selected communication mode.